I've been asked, sometimes in kind of a sideways way, what I think of Norm Roulx' return to the former Nor-Way Pines, now operating as the Legion Speedway. Let me just state now, for the record . . . I think it's great! Norm is a walking piece of living history, of Northern New England dirt-track racing in general, and at that facility in particular.
Remember this, Wayne Weeks was the "Way" in Nor-Way Pines. Guess who was the "Nor"? Hell, anybody that remembers the place before all the trees got cut down knows that they were all white pines, no Norway pines on the place. Norman is, after all, Wayne's nephew and the guy who got Mr. Weeks into the whole racing game in the first place.
The way I heard it, Wayne and Louella got home one evening to find an old Ford parked in their yard. The next day, they found out where it came from; Norman left it there. It was intended to be their race car, and with Hank Montandon at the wheel they learned their craft. They went from car owners to part owners of the just-beginning Bear Ridge Speedway, to co-owners of the Nor-Way Pines in (if I remember correctly) 1974.
I am pleased beyond words to see Norm back behind the mic at his old stomping grounds. He's got the knowledge, the background, and the drive to really make as much of a mark on the new place as he had on the old one. Shoot, the only guy around who's seen further back in this track's history . . . well, that would be me, I suppose, as Dad has moved past this mortal coil.
Norman and I have worked together on numerous occasions and at a couple different tracks. To me, anybody that is going to represent my home track - and the Legion Speedway will always be my home track- should have a good grasp of its history. He definitely fits the bill. The mic couldn't be in better hands. I can't wait to buy a ticket and hear what he has to say. See ya this summer, Norm.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Saturday, August 17, 2013
A Brief History of Racing in Loudon, NH
Before the New Hampshire Motor/International Speedway, even before Bryar Motorsport Park, there was a racetrack in Loudon. A lot of people think they know what I'm referring to. I'll bet they're wrong!
Once upon a time, in a magical land called Laconia, there lived a tire salesman and Baptist minister named Keith Bryar. Mr. Bryar was the owner of Belknap Tire, which still exists on Union Avenue in the aforementioned magical land. One of Mr. Bryar's favorite ways of getting his ya-ya's out was to race sled dogs. He was very good at it; reportedly so good that he would occasionally travel with his dogs up to Alaska, where such things were invented, and whip their frosty little derrieres. Sarah Palin was just a little tyke, so she probably doesn't remember it.
Anyway, Mr. Bryar kept his dogs kenneled on a piece of property he owned over in the nearby town of Loudon. Being an enterprising gentleman, he also had a little amusement park on the same property, which included a merry-go-round, a kid's roller coaster, and a go-kart track. There was also a mobile home there, which served as an office.
In the early 1960's, Mr. Bryar apparently noticed that there were a number of small racetracks dotting the landscape; Claremont Speedway, Thunder Road in Barre, VT, the Waterford VT Speedbowl, the Legion Bowl in Rumney, the recently shuttered Gilford Bowl, and others. I would guess that Mr. Bryar looked at this burgeoning trend and thought; "Gee, having a race track sounds like fun."
At any rate, around 1962 or 1963 - I'm not sure, but I think it was '62, because I remember it being significant that one of the drivers drove car number 62 (Hey, I was 6/7/8 years old) - he opened the doors, or rather, gates, of the 106 Midway Raceway. It was named such because it was located on the grounds of his little amusement park.
For the track, he took the front straightaway of the asphalt go-kart track and cut a fifth-mile ring around the rest of the tiny road course. It looked cool with that little strip of tar running through the infield. I don't know where he got the clay he used for the rest of the track, but it always seemed to be just as hard as the paved front stretch. To this, he added a cement retaining wall on the front stretch and what appeared to be a ridiculous amount of bleachers.
Those bleachers quickly filled. I remember hearing that they usually got around 5000, that's thousand, people to come out on a Saturday night. There were also a ton of race cars in the pit. The track was a blazing success from day one.
My parents and my grandmother made up the core of the officials. Dad, Sonny Clogston, was still serving as the announcer at the Legion Bowl on Sunday afternoons. Keith asked him to be the pit steward of Loudon, which Dad took to with relish. He had a unique way of conducting a safety test on a new car. He always kept a short-handled sledge hammer in our car. If you were new to the track he would go and get that hammer and climb into your car. If he could make another way out aside from the way he got in, your car wasn't safe enough. You could hear his safety inspections for a mile in every direction.
My mother and grandmother, Marge and Pearl Clogston, held jobs that at the time were known as Checkers; now often referred to as Scorers. There was no one to train them in this important task, so they developed their own method which is still used as most of the tracks in the area. It's pretty intuitive, so it's probably done that way pretty much everywhere, but it takes practice to do well. At 7 or 8 I got good enough at it that I would help out sometimes.
The flagman was also a transplant from the Legion Bowl, the great Teddy Winot. Guy Burnham served as the tech man, and Dad hired a local kid named Donnie . . . shoot, I forgot his last name. But I still see him around occasionally, and he was the Assistant Pit Steward.
It was the days of one class. None of the 4/5/7 classes of race cars, you had race cars and road cars, and that's it. On this tiny track, the most they would ever dare to field for the feature was 24 cars, which made the qualifiers very real indeed. There would often be between 40 and 60 cars in the pit on any given Saturday night.
The way an evening ran was this; there would be 10-lap qualifying heats of around 10 cars each. The top four qualified for the feature, and the top 3 went into the semi-feature. After the semi, there would be consolation races, or consi's, for everyone that didn't qualify, again divided up into ten-car, ten-lap heats. In these, the top 2 earned a spot in the feature.
It was not unusual for more than half the cars in attendance to spend the feature on their trailers. This may seem draconian, but the simple fact was the track was so small you simply couldn't put any more cars out there.
One classic story from Loudon that I'll never forget involved Ted Winot. Ted was quite the showman, and usually started a race by taking the green and red flags and walking down to the inside of the first turn. As the lined-up cars came out of turn 4 he would leap high in the air waving the green flag. Then, holding the green flag out, he would run down the infield as the cars rushed toward him. It was all timed so that he would be directly across from the flag stand just as the last cars were going by. Then he would rush across the track and leap up onto the flagstand and flag the rest of the race from there. He did this at the beginning of every race, and also for every restart.
Normally, for the feature, Dad and Guy Burnham would come out into the infield bearing red flags. They were intended to be extra eyes for Ted because of how crowded the track was, and had the authority to throw the red flag if they saw a problem that Ted missed.
So for one feature Ted, Dad and Guy took their positions. Ted threw the green and ran toward the start/finish line as the cars rushed past. But this time, just as he was about to cross the track, the first cars came out of turn 4. Ted hesitated, and that's all it took. By then the cars were too close, and he didn't cross. And he didn't get to, either.
So there he stood, in the infield praying for a break in traffic that was never going to come. Dad was laughing so hard he sat down on the grass. After a few laps of Ted standing there looking forlorn, somebody spun out and Dad and Guy waved their red flags. Ted flagged the rest of the race from the flagstand. Including restarts.
There were a lot of great and memorable drivers at the old 106 Midway Raceway, and none moreso than Paul Martel. He drove a blue and white number 444, which went like stink. He won at least one track championship, and probably two as best as I can recall. '64 and '65, probably. At one point it was discovered that, instead of a '34 Ford chassis like he was supposed to have, they'd built the car on an International Scout frame. Wa-a-a-y illegal. He was kicked out for two weeks, and when he returned the owner of his car had acquired an old beater of a racer, the 3J, which wasn't much compared to the old 444. It didn't matter. Paul kept right on winning.
One of his championship seasons came down to the last race. Paul was locked in a tight points battle with Buck Moses, father of the late, great Big Bill Moses. Buck was, in my humble opinion, quite possibly the greatest car builder in the history of short-track racing in Northern New England. After the qualifiers on that final night of the season, they were neck and neck. But Paul blew his engine in the heat, and was out of the feature. All Buck had to do was take the green flag and the championship was his. Instead, he loaned Paul his car. Of course, Paul went on to win the title. Got a lump in your throat? I do.
"Smiling" Bill George of Andover, NH was another star of the track. He won the championship in '63 with his #64 car. Bill's brother, Carleton, ran a service station in Andover, but Bill farmed. We often saw him at the fairs where he would compete in the oxen pulls.
The Taylor brothers, Art and Walt, raced there. One of them owned a gas station and raced as the Flying A, the brand of gas he sold. There was also the aforementioned #62, driven by Bob "Lollipop" Brown. He won the nickname by giving my mother an extra-large lollipop, presumably as a joke bribe for the head checker. She kept that lollipop, wrapped in plastic, for years afterward.
Another of the stars of the track was Si Colby, driver of the 1H. Si owned a service station in Bristol and he and Dad were old friends. One time there was a problem with somebody who was running studded snow tires, which was highly illegal. Try as they might, nobody could figure out who was using them. They would scour the pits, and no one had them on their car. Then a qualifier would run and the evidence was obvious. Studded snows really tore up the track.
One evening Dad was making the rounds of the pits, which were poorly lit. He made his way over to the back corner where Si happened to always park. He could see Si putting something in his truck. Dad offered to help, and when he got out his flashlight he discovered that his old friend was busy hiding the studded snows. He would slip them on quickly, run his race, and then hustle back to his pit stall and remove them. It broke Dad's heart to do it, but he kicked Si out for two weeks. Si understood, though, and they remained friends.
The other popular means of cheating was to put moth balls in your gas. Supposedly, it gave your car extra horsepower. You could always tell by the smell if someone was treating their fuel with mothballs. Those, and the use of a Jeep or Scout frame, were the biggest ways anyone had of getting around the rules.
The rules were simple, but strict. Everything had to be show stock, and there could be nothing on your car that didn't come with that year's make and model. Sometimes somebody would pay the $25 tear-down fee and the car, the owner, Dad and Guy would go after the races to Belknap Tire where they would examine the offending part of the car. If the complaint regarded your rear end and you drove a Ford, they would remove the rear end and every gear had better be stamped FoMoCo, for Ford Motor Company. You could have the identical gears, made of the identical material with the same number of teeth and everything, but if they didn't say FoMoCo you were illegal and lost your winnings and points.
Keith Bryar was always my favorite track owner for the reason that he knew what he didn't know. He was not an expert on racing or race cars, so he hired people who did and trusted them. Anyone who came to the track owner with a complaint would be directed to whichever official was in charge of that area.
The one time I can remember him being tempted to step in involved a popular driver, I forget who, who had been caught adrift of the rules. Policy was that they would be kicked out for at least two weeks, so it must have been a serious violation. Keith was on the verge of panic, according to my father, because so many people cheered for this driver. Dad told him that if he wanted somebody else to be pit steward, Keith was free to do that, but he would only stay if the rules were the rules. Keith swallowed hard and backed my Dad.
As it turned out, once word got out that this driver was out for two weeks, six new cars showed up along with their fans. The offending driver came back after his sentence was up, shamefaced and legal as a judge.
Dad, Mom, Gram, Donnie and Ted worked in Loudon on Saturday nights and Rumney Sunday afternoons for a few years. Finally, the team left Rumney and were invited to officiate for a new track in Groveton, the Riverside Speedway, for Sundays. Around 1967-68 Keith announced plans to expand the facility. He wanted to tear down the little amusement park and move his kennel and turn the 106 Midway Raceway into a road course. He offered Dad the job of being pit steward for the new facility, a job that would require him to quit his regular job and work for Keith full time. Dad was tempted, but turned him down.
BMP was, of course, another success. They soon acquired race dates from the SCCA, including its very popular Trans-Am series. They also became the home of the Laconia Motorcycle races. He even kept one foot in the local racing scene by having a dirt oval on the property. We never went, but my brother, Butch used to race there.
If anyone out there has any stories or pictures from the 106 Midway Raceway, or know of anything I got wrong, I'd be more than happy to share them.
Once upon a time, in a magical land called Laconia, there lived a tire salesman and Baptist minister named Keith Bryar. Mr. Bryar was the owner of Belknap Tire, which still exists on Union Avenue in the aforementioned magical land. One of Mr. Bryar's favorite ways of getting his ya-ya's out was to race sled dogs. He was very good at it; reportedly so good that he would occasionally travel with his dogs up to Alaska, where such things were invented, and whip their frosty little derrieres. Sarah Palin was just a little tyke, so she probably doesn't remember it.
Anyway, Mr. Bryar kept his dogs kenneled on a piece of property he owned over in the nearby town of Loudon. Being an enterprising gentleman, he also had a little amusement park on the same property, which included a merry-go-round, a kid's roller coaster, and a go-kart track. There was also a mobile home there, which served as an office.
In the early 1960's, Mr. Bryar apparently noticed that there were a number of small racetracks dotting the landscape; Claremont Speedway, Thunder Road in Barre, VT, the Waterford VT Speedbowl, the Legion Bowl in Rumney, the recently shuttered Gilford Bowl, and others. I would guess that Mr. Bryar looked at this burgeoning trend and thought; "Gee, having a race track sounds like fun."
At any rate, around 1962 or 1963 - I'm not sure, but I think it was '62, because I remember it being significant that one of the drivers drove car number 62 (Hey, I was 6/7/8 years old) - he opened the doors, or rather, gates, of the 106 Midway Raceway. It was named such because it was located on the grounds of his little amusement park.
For the track, he took the front straightaway of the asphalt go-kart track and cut a fifth-mile ring around the rest of the tiny road course. It looked cool with that little strip of tar running through the infield. I don't know where he got the clay he used for the rest of the track, but it always seemed to be just as hard as the paved front stretch. To this, he added a cement retaining wall on the front stretch and what appeared to be a ridiculous amount of bleachers.
Those bleachers quickly filled. I remember hearing that they usually got around 5000, that's thousand, people to come out on a Saturday night. There were also a ton of race cars in the pit. The track was a blazing success from day one.
My parents and my grandmother made up the core of the officials. Dad, Sonny Clogston, was still serving as the announcer at the Legion Bowl on Sunday afternoons. Keith asked him to be the pit steward of Loudon, which Dad took to with relish. He had a unique way of conducting a safety test on a new car. He always kept a short-handled sledge hammer in our car. If you were new to the track he would go and get that hammer and climb into your car. If he could make another way out aside from the way he got in, your car wasn't safe enough. You could hear his safety inspections for a mile in every direction.
My mother and grandmother, Marge and Pearl Clogston, held jobs that at the time were known as Checkers; now often referred to as Scorers. There was no one to train them in this important task, so they developed their own method which is still used as most of the tracks in the area. It's pretty intuitive, so it's probably done that way pretty much everywhere, but it takes practice to do well. At 7 or 8 I got good enough at it that I would help out sometimes.
The flagman was also a transplant from the Legion Bowl, the great Teddy Winot. Guy Burnham served as the tech man, and Dad hired a local kid named Donnie . . . shoot, I forgot his last name. But I still see him around occasionally, and he was the Assistant Pit Steward.
It was the days of one class. None of the 4/5/7 classes of race cars, you had race cars and road cars, and that's it. On this tiny track, the most they would ever dare to field for the feature was 24 cars, which made the qualifiers very real indeed. There would often be between 40 and 60 cars in the pit on any given Saturday night.
The way an evening ran was this; there would be 10-lap qualifying heats of around 10 cars each. The top four qualified for the feature, and the top 3 went into the semi-feature. After the semi, there would be consolation races, or consi's, for everyone that didn't qualify, again divided up into ten-car, ten-lap heats. In these, the top 2 earned a spot in the feature.
It was not unusual for more than half the cars in attendance to spend the feature on their trailers. This may seem draconian, but the simple fact was the track was so small you simply couldn't put any more cars out there.
One classic story from Loudon that I'll never forget involved Ted Winot. Ted was quite the showman, and usually started a race by taking the green and red flags and walking down to the inside of the first turn. As the lined-up cars came out of turn 4 he would leap high in the air waving the green flag. Then, holding the green flag out, he would run down the infield as the cars rushed toward him. It was all timed so that he would be directly across from the flag stand just as the last cars were going by. Then he would rush across the track and leap up onto the flagstand and flag the rest of the race from there. He did this at the beginning of every race, and also for every restart.
Normally, for the feature, Dad and Guy Burnham would come out into the infield bearing red flags. They were intended to be extra eyes for Ted because of how crowded the track was, and had the authority to throw the red flag if they saw a problem that Ted missed.
So for one feature Ted, Dad and Guy took their positions. Ted threw the green and ran toward the start/finish line as the cars rushed past. But this time, just as he was about to cross the track, the first cars came out of turn 4. Ted hesitated, and that's all it took. By then the cars were too close, and he didn't cross. And he didn't get to, either.
So there he stood, in the infield praying for a break in traffic that was never going to come. Dad was laughing so hard he sat down on the grass. After a few laps of Ted standing there looking forlorn, somebody spun out and Dad and Guy waved their red flags. Ted flagged the rest of the race from the flagstand. Including restarts.
There were a lot of great and memorable drivers at the old 106 Midway Raceway, and none moreso than Paul Martel. He drove a blue and white number 444, which went like stink. He won at least one track championship, and probably two as best as I can recall. '64 and '65, probably. At one point it was discovered that, instead of a '34 Ford chassis like he was supposed to have, they'd built the car on an International Scout frame. Wa-a-a-y illegal. He was kicked out for two weeks, and when he returned the owner of his car had acquired an old beater of a racer, the 3J, which wasn't much compared to the old 444. It didn't matter. Paul kept right on winning.
One of his championship seasons came down to the last race. Paul was locked in a tight points battle with Buck Moses, father of the late, great Big Bill Moses. Buck was, in my humble opinion, quite possibly the greatest car builder in the history of short-track racing in Northern New England. After the qualifiers on that final night of the season, they were neck and neck. But Paul blew his engine in the heat, and was out of the feature. All Buck had to do was take the green flag and the championship was his. Instead, he loaned Paul his car. Of course, Paul went on to win the title. Got a lump in your throat? I do.
Model of Paul Martel's 444, made by Neal Davis
"Smiling" Bill George of Andover, NH was another star of the track. He won the championship in '63 with his #64 car. Bill's brother, Carleton, ran a service station in Andover, but Bill farmed. We often saw him at the fairs where he would compete in the oxen pulls.
Model of Bill George's championship car, made by Neal Davis
The Taylor brothers, Art and Walt, raced there. One of them owned a gas station and raced as the Flying A, the brand of gas he sold. There was also the aforementioned #62, driven by Bob "Lollipop" Brown. He won the nickname by giving my mother an extra-large lollipop, presumably as a joke bribe for the head checker. She kept that lollipop, wrapped in plastic, for years afterward.
Another of the stars of the track was Si Colby, driver of the 1H. Si owned a service station in Bristol and he and Dad were old friends. One time there was a problem with somebody who was running studded snow tires, which was highly illegal. Try as they might, nobody could figure out who was using them. They would scour the pits, and no one had them on their car. Then a qualifier would run and the evidence was obvious. Studded snows really tore up the track.
One evening Dad was making the rounds of the pits, which were poorly lit. He made his way over to the back corner where Si happened to always park. He could see Si putting something in his truck. Dad offered to help, and when he got out his flashlight he discovered that his old friend was busy hiding the studded snows. He would slip them on quickly, run his race, and then hustle back to his pit stall and remove them. It broke Dad's heart to do it, but he kicked Si out for two weeks. Si understood, though, and they remained friends.
The other popular means of cheating was to put moth balls in your gas. Supposedly, it gave your car extra horsepower. You could always tell by the smell if someone was treating their fuel with mothballs. Those, and the use of a Jeep or Scout frame, were the biggest ways anyone had of getting around the rules.
The rules were simple, but strict. Everything had to be show stock, and there could be nothing on your car that didn't come with that year's make and model. Sometimes somebody would pay the $25 tear-down fee and the car, the owner, Dad and Guy would go after the races to Belknap Tire where they would examine the offending part of the car. If the complaint regarded your rear end and you drove a Ford, they would remove the rear end and every gear had better be stamped FoMoCo, for Ford Motor Company. You could have the identical gears, made of the identical material with the same number of teeth and everything, but if they didn't say FoMoCo you were illegal and lost your winnings and points.
Keith Bryar was always my favorite track owner for the reason that he knew what he didn't know. He was not an expert on racing or race cars, so he hired people who did and trusted them. Anyone who came to the track owner with a complaint would be directed to whichever official was in charge of that area.
The one time I can remember him being tempted to step in involved a popular driver, I forget who, who had been caught adrift of the rules. Policy was that they would be kicked out for at least two weeks, so it must have been a serious violation. Keith was on the verge of panic, according to my father, because so many people cheered for this driver. Dad told him that if he wanted somebody else to be pit steward, Keith was free to do that, but he would only stay if the rules were the rules. Keith swallowed hard and backed my Dad.
As it turned out, once word got out that this driver was out for two weeks, six new cars showed up along with their fans. The offending driver came back after his sentence was up, shamefaced and legal as a judge.
Dad, Mom, Gram, Donnie and Ted worked in Loudon on Saturday nights and Rumney Sunday afternoons for a few years. Finally, the team left Rumney and were invited to officiate for a new track in Groveton, the Riverside Speedway, for Sundays. Around 1967-68 Keith announced plans to expand the facility. He wanted to tear down the little amusement park and move his kennel and turn the 106 Midway Raceway into a road course. He offered Dad the job of being pit steward for the new facility, a job that would require him to quit his regular job and work for Keith full time. Dad was tempted, but turned him down.
BMP was, of course, another success. They soon acquired race dates from the SCCA, including its very popular Trans-Am series. They also became the home of the Laconia Motorcycle races. He even kept one foot in the local racing scene by having a dirt oval on the property. We never went, but my brother, Butch used to race there.
If anyone out there has any stories or pictures from the 106 Midway Raceway, or know of anything I got wrong, I'd be more than happy to share them.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Innovation and Engineering
I don't often pontificate about the state of what would be considered Major-League racing; at least, not here. But recently I was talking with a couple other race fans and wound up going off at length at what I DON'T like about modern racing.
I must confess, I no longer watch NASCAR or Indy car racing. I do like Formula 1, and I've taken a shine to the Rolex Grand-Am series, especially it's Continental Tire classes. I grew up in the 1960's and 1970's, which I feel was a particularly fertile time for racing. Maybe even the peak of it all, with a steady decline since then.
My big complaint is that I think the Powers That Be in big-time racing have forgotten where it all came from. Racing is now being packaged as a battle of personalities; Earnhardt, Jr. against Johnson against Kowslowski against Busch and so on. In the name of Fairness and Safety, the cars in both NASCAR and Indy Car are all essentially the same. Even the engines, which are built to ever-tighter regulations.
Imagine if you will the first time that two cars met up on the same road. It's been long thought that this was probably the setting of the first car race, and it's probably not too far from the truth. Was it a battle of personalities? Most likely not. That could have been solved by a fist fight, or by having a pretty girl pick the one they liked the best. No, it was a battle to decide who had the best car.
It's why the 500-mile and 24-hour race soon became the standards to which any great race had to aspire. In the early days of racing, these were ridiculously long, arduous distances that would prove beyond any doubt who built the better car. Now, the finish of these races are manipulated artificially so that the winner is decided by a car length or less. And if, Heaven forbid, the agreed upon distance should transpire during a caution period, it is artificially extended so they can finish with a two-lap Green-White-Checker finish.
The car at the top of the page is the one that came within two laps of winning the 1967 Indianapolis 500. It was commissioned and owned by Andy Granatelli, who at that time ran the STP oil additive company. It had four-wheel-drive and was powered by a turbine engine taken from a combat helicopter. Most of the rest of the field was propelled by either Offenhauser or Ford piston engines. Andy thought he had a better idea, and almost proved it with a dominant performance by driver Parnelli Jones. An engine bearing ended his race six miles from the end.
This is the Chaparral 2J, designed and built by Jim Hall. He's the man, with the earlier Chaparral 2-series, that put spoilers and then wings on race cars. He also whipped everybody else's, ahem, derriere with them. So everybody else had to put spoilers and then wings on their race cars to keep up. His innovative imagination led him to this, which found an active way to do what the wings and spoilers did in a passive way. He used vacuum power to suck the car to the race track, which meant it had just as much adhesion to the track in slow corners as in fast straightaways. Alfa Romeo used the same idea on an open-wheeled Formula One car.
And speaking of wings, the first race car in history to log a lap of more than 200 miles per hour was NOT a sports car, NOT an Indy car, NOT a Formula one car . . . it was a stock car! This stock car, as a matter of fact. Bobby Isaac's 1970 Dodge Daytona, at Talladega Motor Speedway. Damn, ain't it pretty! Yes, there was a time when the fastest race cars in the entire world were NASCAR stockers.
This NASCAR stocker, the Can-Am "sucker car" and the "Whoosh-mobile" Indy car all share one thing; they were all outlawed. The real reason for this was that they were just too damned fast. And these cars were hardly the only ones. Chrysler's Hemi, Mazda's Wankel rotary engine, Williams Renault's active suspension, Mercedes' Streamliner Formula One car, the Tyrrell Ford six-wheeler, and many other innovative ideas came and went, not because they failed, but because they succeeded too well.
And even in failure, they made a serious impact on the cars we drive today. Anybody seen any of those bumper stickers that say; "Yes, it's a Hemi"? Ever see an econobox with a wing and an air dam? Noticed how aerodynamic foolish little things like side mirrors have gotten? And while there are no turbine cars on the road, there are plenty of turbine-powered trains, helicopters, and Army tanks out there.
For aircraft, war is the great stage for innovation. You can watch the progression of history in planes from the Sopwith Camel to the F-18 growing through warfare. The automobile, by contrast, has grown and changed on the race track. New ideas come about and get tested and adapted first on race cars. Most of the differences between the Model T Ford and a 2014 Ford Fusion were first tested at Indianapolis or Le Mans or Daytona or . . . From the engine under the hood to the tires holding it off the ground to the upholstery on the seat.
Time for another gratuitous race car picture. Pop quiz; if you go into the headquarters of Cummins Diesel, you will see a vehicle that was powered by one of their engines. If you guessed a John Deere tractor or a Peterbilt truck, you were wrong. What you'll see is this:
This car won the pole and led more than fifty laps of the 1952 Indianapolis 500 before succumbing to some minor mechanical glitch. I guess I don't have to tell you what's under the hood.
Now, I would agree that you can't just take the lid off. With today's technology it would be relatively easy to build a car that would go so fast it would be no fun to watch. So fast there would be no way to make it safe enough for the driver to survive a crash. There are good, practical reasons for wanting race cars to be limited in how fast they can go.
The problem is in how this has been done. It's been done by making it so you can't innovate. Formula One and drag racing are the last major racing series where you're not forced to race the same car with the same engine as everybody else. And even they have tightened their rules to ridiculous lengths, on their way to yet more "spec series." Plus, certain facts of life have, unfortunately, remained in place. For instance, the cars that win regularly are still the ones with the most money. Only now, instead of looking for an advantage that helps you complete the distance or win by a long way, it helps you get a 1- or 2% gap over the rest of the field.
A race series like Sprint Cup or the Izod Indycar series has a gap of about two seconds a lap between pole position and dead last. Two seconds! And the only way that last car is going to get to the front is with an infusion of millions of dollars. And the really funny part is that any decent shade-tree mechanic with twenty grand and access to a decent junk yard can build a car that can beat them all. It won't fit within the rules, but it will be faster. There's something ridiculous about that.
The man in the picture is Art Arfons, a shade tree mechanic and independent drag racer from Akron, Ohio. He built this car, known as the Green Monster, in the early 1960's for under a hundred thousand dollars. The engine is an Army surplus GE jet from an F-4 Phantom fighter plane. He set the Land Speed record in this car three times, the fastest being 576 mph. Craig Breedlove, in a similar machine, beat it and raised it to just over 600. Art got back in, and his airspeed indicator told him he was going about 650 when he blew a tire. He walked away from the wreck.
I'm not ashamed to say I miss those days. And I miss seeing some nut-job show up at Indy or Le Mans or Daytona with a Wankel engine, or a turbine, or a new kind of wing, or extra tires. There are ways to make race cars safer and slower besides stuffing them into ever-smaller boxes. Plus, I'm not convinced that the cars we drive on the street are perfect. They should get better gas mileage. They should be able to run on a variety of fuels, and there should be a greater variety of fuels for them to run on. They should be safer. And cheaper. And last longer, and be more comfortable, and carry more. And they should continue to improve in all these areas forever.
But racing is no longer allowed to be a crucible where these things can be tested. Racing has devolved into 200-mph wrestling. It's one of the reasons I still love local racing at local tracks, because the people that race there still get to innovate, even if it's on a small scale.
Rules makers for race series should look at their current fleet of race cars with this thought in mind; what about this car could be improved? The tires? The fuel? The body, frame, engine, safety equipment? For those things, the limits should allow for their improvement instead of their homogenization. Engines too powerful? Limit their size. More variety of engines? Limit the amount of fuel they can use. Tires stick too well? Make them narrower. But don't just make everybody run the same car.
And if somebody comes up with something so good nobody can beat it, just let it run. Find small ways of limiting it, and wait for nature to take its course. Before very long, the people coming in second-through-last will get sick of it and figure out a way to beat them. In the sixties, Chrysler's Hemi engine dominated until NASCAR banned it for the 1965 season. You want to know who protested the loudest? Ford, because they'd just come up with their own version of the Hemi. There is no innovation that can't be improved upon.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
A Face In The Crowd
Hi. Y'know, every now and then I'll run into somebody at Wal-Mart or a gas station and we'll get talking racing. For those of you that haven't heard, yes, I'll be back at the Rumney track this year, and glad for it. And, I really do plan on writing more for this blog in the future. I have a lot more memories to share, and I don't plan on shutting up about them any time soon.
The thing I wanted to say today is that I'm so glad that there is so much about small NH (and VT) dirt tracks on the web these days. Thanks especially to Billy "Gee-tar" Moses for posting all that video. I used to watch Mary Emery taping all those races all those evenings and wondering, 'what the hell is she ever going to do with those?' Now, I know.
Just in case there's somebody that doesn't know yet, there's a Facebook page you'll love if you've bothered to read any of this. It's called Nor-Way Pines Through The Years, and it's awesome. Billy's posted tons (hours?) of video, and lots of other people have shared photos and stories. For your information, there are similar pages for Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, VT and the Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, NH.
There are also a number of websites dedicated to memorializing the sport we all love. I am glad to be a small part of that history with this page, and I hope you enjoy - and will continue to enjoy - it. I would like to know if there are also any sites or pages regarding some of the tracks that didn't last as long; like the tri-oval in Franklin, NH back in the sixties, or Bob Welch's try for one year in North Woodstock. And for that matter, anybody that's got anything from the original 106 Midway Raceway in Loudon - later known as Bryar Motorsport Park, and then NH Int'l Speedway - I'd love to see it.
So keep the shiny side up, and don't forget to turn left. See ya at the Legion Speedway in May.
The thing I wanted to say today is that I'm so glad that there is so much about small NH (and VT) dirt tracks on the web these days. Thanks especially to Billy "Gee-tar" Moses for posting all that video. I used to watch Mary Emery taping all those races all those evenings and wondering, 'what the hell is she ever going to do with those?' Now, I know.
Just in case there's somebody that doesn't know yet, there's a Facebook page you'll love if you've bothered to read any of this. It's called Nor-Way Pines Through The Years, and it's awesome. Billy's posted tons (hours?) of video, and lots of other people have shared photos and stories. For your information, there are similar pages for Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, VT and the Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, NH.
There are also a number of websites dedicated to memorializing the sport we all love. I am glad to be a small part of that history with this page, and I hope you enjoy - and will continue to enjoy - it. I would like to know if there are also any sites or pages regarding some of the tracks that didn't last as long; like the tri-oval in Franklin, NH back in the sixties, or Bob Welch's try for one year in North Woodstock. And for that matter, anybody that's got anything from the original 106 Midway Raceway in Loudon - later known as Bryar Motorsport Park, and then NH Int'l Speedway - I'd love to see it.
So keep the shiny side up, and don't forget to turn left. See ya at the Legion Speedway in May.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Another great website
Hi. I've been trying to let everyone know when I find another website that deals with Northern New England small-track racing, and here's another one. It's called NH Short Track Heroes, and here's the link:
http://nhshorttrackheroes.weebly.com/index.html
I'll also put the link on the side of this page. Enjoy!
http://nhshorttrackheroes.weebly.com/index.html
I'll also put the link on the side of this page. Enjoy!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Ultimate Race Weekend
Well, it's here. Memorial Day weekend. First of all, let me express my deep and heartfelt gratitude to those men and women who have served, and are now serving, in the uniform of the various militaries of the United States. And please, a doff of the cap and a moment of silence for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
I guess the next thing to say is, Drivers, Start Your Engines. Got a couple races already in the DVR to watch, and as I write this the Grand Prix of Monaco is just finishing. I've shut the TV off so I can watch the whole thing later on. Then there's the Indianapolis 500, on its 101st anniversary, along with what we used to call the World 600 from Charlotte. That's after the Rolex Grand Am series race, which I believe was yesterday at Lime Rock. Or is it today? Not sure. Been busy.
Oddly enough, I won't be watching many of them. The Grand Am race should be on my DVR, along with Monaco, but I have no plans to watch either Indy or NASCAR today or any time soon. That's sad, really, but for me not as sad as watching the races.
Have you ever heard the term, "Spec series?" Spec is short for . . . hmm, what is it short for? Specific? Specialized? Certainly not Special, or Spectacular. Spec refers to the fact that everybody's race car has to fit specific guidelines and parameters.
Well, now, wait a minute, isn't that just rules? Every race series has rules, right? Makes it fair, and makes it safe. Ah, but there's a difference between simply having rules, and making everybody drive the same, identical car with the same, identical engine. That's what a spec series is. Cookie cutter cars.
You've probably gathered by now that I'm not too into that sort of thing. I understand the whole motivation behind it, of course. Makes the racing close. It does make me wonder, though. If the final lap being a nail-biter down-to-the-wire heart-in-your-throat event, then what's the other 100 or 250 or 500 laps for? Why not just have the one lap?
I think major league racing the world over has forgotten what the original point was. The original point was to find out which car was the best. Not which driver, but which car. Back in the day, the reason for racing was not so much to impress ticket buyers and television viewers, but to find out something. The Indianapolis race was 500 miles long because it wasn't known if any of those cars could even go that far. And because they did, then it became an issue who could do it the fastest, and this led to improvements for everybody's car.
After all, what does the phrase, "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" mean anyway? Why does winning on Sunday count? Because it's solid, documentable proof that your car is better! That's the biggest difference, looking at it in terms of devices, between cars and airplanes. Airplanes' biggest proving ground has always been war. Good fighter planes led directly to better private planes. Good bombers were the precursors to cargo and passenger planes.
But for automobiles, racing is the crucible in which new ideas are put to the test. Speed, safety, reliability, all is revealed by setting a long-distance goal and mashing your foot to the floor. Improvements in every aspect of automobile manufacture, from tires to chassis structure to windshield wipers, can be traced to success on the race track. It's where countless new technologies have been conceived, tested, and either proven or rejected. Go look at the car in your driveway. Even if it's a humble minivan or econobox, there's hardly anything on it that didn't begin its life as a new idea for a race car.
That's all gone now, for the most part. Oh, yes, there are little things that do get tried on racers that will eventually find their way onto our road cars, but for the most part racing has become, more and more, mere entertainment. It is all managed in a way that makes the last lap the most exciting one, and everything else is just dramatic embellishment. It sorts out the larger group into a much smaller group of a few players who will be eligible for that last-second push for the victory. The only thing that makes it a sport is the fact that, so far as we know anyway, none of the result is decided in advance.
It used to be a lot more wide open, of course. Even in the world of stock cars, there were huge differences between the cars in any given race. Did you know that a NASCAR stock car race was once won by a Jaguar? You could race literally any stock automobile that would pass the safety inspection. I'm not going to go into the history of NASCAR or any other race series, because anyone reading this is probably already aware of anything I could say about it.
I believe the eventual direction will be for all the cars in a race series to be provided by one garage, in order that they will then all be prepared as identically as physically possible. That would be the ultimate in "fairness." It will also emphasize the drivers above all else. It will be a clash of personalities, disguised as a car race. They might as well be wrestling, or playing ping pong, but they'll be in high-powered mega-safe practically identical automobiles.
And all this has happened in my lifetime, or at least most of it. Back in the early 1950's Mercedes-Benz put a body with fenders on their Formula One cars for high-speed circuits like Silverstone and Monza. The FIA, which then as now was the sanctioning body for F1, mandated that all their race cars should be open-wheeled. If they had been allowed to continue as logic dictated to their engineers, it would have led to the whole field being closed-wheel, probably at every track, and this surely would have spilled over to Indycars and so on. And Dan Wheldon would still be alive. And so it goes.
Or look at what NASCAR did in the '60's with the Chrysler Hemis. Dodge and Plymouth came out with the hemi in late 1963, making it available on a limited basis on their road cars so that it was legally a stock car. These cars dominated the 1964 season. So NASCAR banned the hemispherical head starting in 1965, in spite of the fact that Ford had gone ahead and prepared a hemispherical-head engine of its own. In response, Chrysler pulled all their factory teams for the '65 season. Richard Petty went drag racing, Ned Jarrett won the championship by a country mile, and attendance was down by, in some cases, half or more. So NASCAR gave in and allowed the Hemi, but it was certainly not the last time they banned a new idea because it won too much.
The same thing happened at Indianapolis. Everything from diesel engines to supercharging to turbines got slapped with restrictions until they were "managed" into uncompetitiveness. The Indycar series now runs one chassis, made by Dallara in Italy, and there are three engine manufacturers whose engines all have the same number of cylinders, the same displacement, and are allowed the same amount of turbocharger boost. They might as well be making the same engine, because they essentially are. Same with the chassis and engine rules in NASCAR.
Even Formula One, which has usually maintained the high ground in race car technology, has gone to mandate things to the Nth degree. But at least you can still park a Ferrari, a McLaren and a Red Bull side by side with no markings and tell them apart. If you parked the race cars driven by Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Greg Biffle side by side with no markings, you'd have to pop the hoods and look for the brand on the valve covers to pick the right ones.
Personally, my favorite race series right now are the Grand Am and Continental Tire series. Which are, surprisingly, both owned and sanctioned by NASCAR. These are all road course races, which I like anyway. Each series has several different chassis and engine manufacturers. Last year's Daytona Prototype champion in Grand Am drove a Riley chassis powered by BMW, and the Riley looked a fair bit different from the Dallara and the Coyote chassis that they beat. For this year, the rules were tweaked so that they can look, and be, even more different.
I tend to lean the strongest toward the Continental Tire series, which is actual stock cars. The second-tier Grand Am series is the Grand Touring class, with race chassis but bodies that match the templates of cars like Camaro, Mustang, and Porsche among others. But in CT, they are actually the cars they look like, as they come from the manufacturer, with roll cages and safety equipment installed. The races are shown on Speed channel, usually delayed a week or two. The fields are huge, sometimes having 60 to 70 cars in two classes. Their Grand Touring class is, again, Mustangs, Camaros, Porsches, BMW 3-series and so forth. The Street Tuner class is for anything smaller, from Minis to Kias to Mazda Miatas and the like.
So far, it doesn't seem as closely managed as the bigger series. Yes, if someone begins to dominate, the rules are adjusted somewhat to give everyone a better chance. But basically there's not enough money or prestige on the line for BMW or Chevy to make huge changes to a whole line of cars. And as a bonus, they get to find out just how good the cars in their dealers' showrooms hold up over some very tough miles.
So basically, as far as I'm concerned, there is one word that describes the kind of racing that will be held today in Indianapolis and Charlotte; fake. And I'm sorry, I have no use for fake racing. They might as well have Milli Vanilli lip-synch the national anthem. I am convinced that any good shade-tree mechanic with plenty of local racing experience and ten thousand dollars to play with could build a car that would last 500 or 600 miles and beat whoever wins either of those races today. They just wouldn't be able to do it within those rules.
Then again, I always liked home-made chocolate chip cookies better than Chips Ahoys.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
New Owners in Rumney?
Hi, there.
I know I've been pretty quiet here lately. And a lot of people have been asking me about the situation at the Rumney track, the former Legion Bowl/Nor-Way Pines/Pines Speedway/Legion Speedway/Rattlesnake Motordrome/Big Daddy's Speedbowl. The story this list tells is that the track has changed management several times since Wayne Weeks sold his lease and retired.
Some of these new managers have asked me to work for them, and I have. Some have not, and some have asked and I said no. Last summer, before any of the brief series of Sprint car shows, I ran into Mike Kondrat at a gas station. He asked if I was interested in announcing for those shows. At the time, I said no, because I had been in contact with most or all of the parties involved with the operation, and closing, of Big Daddy's. It sounded to me like, whoever was brave enough to put a key in the gate's padlock, they were going to have lawyers descending on them like locusts.
Frankly, I didn't want to be involved with that. Nothing against the Legion, Mike Rivers, Si Allen, or anyone else involved. I was just . . . well, covering my own tail. I am in the happy, and sad, position of being friends with people on all sides. I listened to each of them say some very nasty things about each other; things that, I hope, they now regret, but that's their business. I did not want to be seen as taking sides, so I stayed clear. I didn't even buy a ticket to go watch.
Apprently, as it turns out, everything went smoothly last summer. And, I've heard that Si is now either leasing, or has bought, the track, with the full blessing of the Legion and Mike Rivers. That's the prominent rumor, anyway. I hope that is the case. All that I'm hearing now is positive, and everybody's looking forward to a summer of racing. The 51st since the place first opened, as a matter of fact. When the racing juices start flowing full-strength, I'll probably be putting more of my memories on this page, about this track and the others I've known, and eagerly anticipting the memories yet to be made.
I hope to be able to buy my ticket a few times. And, if Si or anybody else needs some extra help from an old former announcer, just give me a shout. I'd love another excuse to go get involved again. I sincerely hope that all sides have buried the hatchet and taken care of their business. And if anyone wants to know whose side I'm on, I'm on the side of the racers and the fans. Long may the flag wave in the infield, no matter who owns the ground under it. Let's go racing!!
Rick Clogston
I know I've been pretty quiet here lately. And a lot of people have been asking me about the situation at the Rumney track, the former Legion Bowl/Nor-Way Pines/Pines Speedway/Legion Speedway/Rattlesnake Motordrome/Big Daddy's Speedbowl. The story this list tells is that the track has changed management several times since Wayne Weeks sold his lease and retired.
Some of these new managers have asked me to work for them, and I have. Some have not, and some have asked and I said no. Last summer, before any of the brief series of Sprint car shows, I ran into Mike Kondrat at a gas station. He asked if I was interested in announcing for those shows. At the time, I said no, because I had been in contact with most or all of the parties involved with the operation, and closing, of Big Daddy's. It sounded to me like, whoever was brave enough to put a key in the gate's padlock, they were going to have lawyers descending on them like locusts.
Frankly, I didn't want to be involved with that. Nothing against the Legion, Mike Rivers, Si Allen, or anyone else involved. I was just . . . well, covering my own tail. I am in the happy, and sad, position of being friends with people on all sides. I listened to each of them say some very nasty things about each other; things that, I hope, they now regret, but that's their business. I did not want to be seen as taking sides, so I stayed clear. I didn't even buy a ticket to go watch.
Apprently, as it turns out, everything went smoothly last summer. And, I've heard that Si is now either leasing, or has bought, the track, with the full blessing of the Legion and Mike Rivers. That's the prominent rumor, anyway. I hope that is the case. All that I'm hearing now is positive, and everybody's looking forward to a summer of racing. The 51st since the place first opened, as a matter of fact. When the racing juices start flowing full-strength, I'll probably be putting more of my memories on this page, about this track and the others I've known, and eagerly anticipting the memories yet to be made.
I hope to be able to buy my ticket a few times. And, if Si or anybody else needs some extra help from an old former announcer, just give me a shout. I'd love another excuse to go get involved again. I sincerely hope that all sides have buried the hatchet and taken care of their business. And if anyone wants to know whose side I'm on, I'm on the side of the racers and the fans. Long may the flag wave in the infield, no matter who owns the ground under it. Let's go racing!!
Rick Clogston
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A sad farewell to Dan Wheldon
Sincere condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Dan Wheldon, who died last Sunday in the season-ending Indycar race in Las Vegas.
There's already a lot of talk about how inappropriate a venue Las Vegas is for Indycars, and that may well be true. But maybe it's finally time to face up to the very real issue of open-wheel racing in general. I've read the articles and seen the footage of the crash, and I think an argument could be made that the crash might not have been so bad if the car had fenders.
Let's face facts; automotive engineers have known for 75 years that enclosing the wheels improves the aerodynamics of a car. Open-wheeled cars came about because fenders were heavy and easily removable, and tires were very skinny, and speeds were low enough that aerodynamics had not yet been noticed as a factor. To have open-wheeled racers is one of those ridiculous traditions that serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever.
It's time for the IRL and Formula One to accept the reality; a car with full bodywork is not only more practical, it's safer. Any Modified or Sprint Car driver can tell you what happens when exposed wheels touch anything, and that looks exactly like what happened to Wheldon.
Open wheels also force the builders of these cars to stick the front shock absorbers inside a very small piece of bodywork that aims the shock towers directly at the driver's head. Remember how Ayrton Senna died?
In the 1950's Mercedes-Benz put full bodywork on their F1 cars on the faster tracks. It made them faster. So the FIA outlawed them, and we've been stuck with this ridiculous, dangerous affectation ever since. Seeing as good a driver, and person, as Dan Wheldon die cannot help but raise the question; when is somebody going to speak out against open wheels?
There's already a lot of talk about how inappropriate a venue Las Vegas is for Indycars, and that may well be true. But maybe it's finally time to face up to the very real issue of open-wheel racing in general. I've read the articles and seen the footage of the crash, and I think an argument could be made that the crash might not have been so bad if the car had fenders.
Let's face facts; automotive engineers have known for 75 years that enclosing the wheels improves the aerodynamics of a car. Open-wheeled cars came about because fenders were heavy and easily removable, and tires were very skinny, and speeds were low enough that aerodynamics had not yet been noticed as a factor. To have open-wheeled racers is one of those ridiculous traditions that serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever.
It's time for the IRL and Formula One to accept the reality; a car with full bodywork is not only more practical, it's safer. Any Modified or Sprint Car driver can tell you what happens when exposed wheels touch anything, and that looks exactly like what happened to Wheldon.
Open wheels also force the builders of these cars to stick the front shock absorbers inside a very small piece of bodywork that aims the shock towers directly at the driver's head. Remember how Ayrton Senna died?
In the 1950's Mercedes-Benz put full bodywork on their F1 cars on the faster tracks. It made them faster. So the FIA outlawed them, and we've been stuck with this ridiculous, dangerous affectation ever since. Seeing as good a driver, and person, as Dan Wheldon die cannot help but raise the question; when is somebody going to speak out against open wheels?
Sunday, September 04, 2011
The Owner
On the subject of track owners, my favorite one remains Keith Bryar, the founder of the 106 Midway Raceway in Loudon, NH. It later became Bryar Motorsport Park, and is now known as New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Keith’s greatest strength was knowing what he DIDN’T know, which was most everything about running a race track. He hired a flagman, a pit steward, a tech man, and checkers who knew what they were doing and stayed out of their way.
My father happened to be that pit steward, which is a topic for a later article. I can remember one time when there was a conflict of opinion between Dad and Keith. It was over the legality of a car driven by the great Paul Martel. Paul was quite possibly the best driver I ever saw, but he didn’t know which end of a wrench to use. The car he was busy winning a championship with turned out to be illegal by the rules of the day. It was built on the frame of an International Scout. The tech man figured it out and reported it to Dad, who sent him home for two weeks and ordered the car off the track.
When Keith heard, he went to Dad, complaining that Paul was very popular and lots of people would leave if he were kicked out. Dad’s reply was, do you want me to enforce the rules, or not? If not, get somebody else.
The story had a happy ending, but the point is that Keith Bryar decided to trust his pit steward. He was the expert, not Keith. My advice to track owners is, do the same. Your perspective is different from the flagman’s. His, I hope, is running that race as fairly as possible. Yours is how many people are in the stands? How many hamburgers will I sell? What about this car owner that’s helped me so much? What about his sponsor, who just bought a big billboard ad for the back stretch?
I’ve seen a lot of track owners in my over 50 years of involvement with dirt track racing in NH and the area. I am not going to start talking about who I thought was best, worst, or whatever. And I sure as hell am not going to start dragging skeletons out of the closet. I simply want to pass some advice along to the most important person at any track; the owner.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
The Purpose
Hi.
Just a word about the purpose of this blog. It's about the history of stock car racing in New Hampshire and northern New England. It is NOT about venting your spleen about the current state of racing. Yes, I happen to work currently at a track, but there are other places that you can rant about them. Not here. If it's going to be about that, I'm going to delete everything and shut it down. There are plenty of good sites about this history now, and this one probably won't be missed too sorely.
So Mudman, please keep your childish and inaccurate opinions to yourself, especially if you're not man enough to actually use your name.
Rick
Just a word about the purpose of this blog. It's about the history of stock car racing in New Hampshire and northern New England. It is NOT about venting your spleen about the current state of racing. Yes, I happen to work currently at a track, but there are other places that you can rant about them. Not here. If it's going to be about that, I'm going to delete everything and shut it down. There are plenty of good sites about this history now, and this one probably won't be missed too sorely.
So Mudman, please keep your childish and inaccurate opinions to yourself, especially if you're not man enough to actually use your name.
Rick
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Flagman
The Flagman
God. Well, god with a small g, but god none the less. That’s what the flagman is on the racetrack, or at least what they should be. Of course, this is the 21st century, so that could easily be the Flag Person, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that somebody has to be in charge on the race track, and that’s the flagman.
I believe I’ve already written a piece on the man I consider to be one of the best, if not THE best, flagman ever; Ted Winot. Ted was an artist, a showman. He was also aware of every single thing that happened on HIS racetrack, and was very fair. And those are the most important things for a flagman to be.
The modern-day flagman doesn’t ever really get to be a showman. They’re stuck in a flagstand mounted up on high. About all they can do now is wave the flags. Not like the old days in which Ted and his ilk could come down onto the track and mingle with the cars and drivers. Leaping about, running around with the green flag in their hands, shaking the black flag in some driver’s window and giving them what for. No, we’re . . . well, fortunately, a lot more safety conscious now. Flagmen used to get hurt. Chub Walker used to stand in the middle of the track at the start and let the cars go around him.
The flagman’s REAL job is not just to stop and start the race. It is also to pass judgement on the events taking place thereupon. The Checkers (or Scorers) keep an eye on who is first, second, and so forth. The flagman’s job is to enforce the rules of the road. To make sure that traffic can flow freely, and if it can’t to stop it and see to the removal of any obstacles. Then, they are to ejucidate who is at fault for the stoppage and deal with them appropriately.
Traditionally, whoever causes the caution flag to be waved goes to the rear of the field for the restart. Sometimes this is a complicated decision. One car may have spun out and stalled in the middle of the track, causing a safety hazard that brings out the yellow flag. But that person may have spun out because of the actions of another. It is up to the flagman to determine who was at fault, and if he feels that the spun car was wronged he could even get back his original position on the track while the person who hooked them goes back.
This is not always an easy decision to make. A good flagman has plenty of help around to help him make it, and in this day of portable radios that has gotten a little easier to do. You will note that there are usually a number of people on the infield or at the pit entrance carrying walkie-talkies with them. They act as assistants to the flagman, because nobody – not even Ted Winot – could see all the way around a racetrack all the time.
One thing that makes the flagman’s job difficult is the fact that he’s doing it in front of the entire crowd. And don’t forget that most of that crowd has their own opinion on what happened, especially if they have an interest in any car involved. Let’s be honest, fans; your favorite driver can do any damned thing they want and it’s justified. Consequently, the more honest a flagman is, the more fans hate them.
Think about this for a moment. I know I’m in dangerous waters here, but bear with me. Do you remember a NASCAR star whose nickname was “The Intimidator?” How do you get a nickname like that, anyway? I’ll tell you how; by using your bumper to advance your position on the racetrack. That’s been one of my long-standing complaints about NASCAR. They look the other way for drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, and Bobby Allison because they’re popular.
There is a variety of opinions on such drivers. I believe their aggressive tactics are unfair, others feel it gives a race color. Where opinions vary the widest is among the drivers. If you use those tactics, you think they’re great. On the other hand, if you’re the poor schmuck who has to repair their car every week while a less talented, but more aggressive, driver goes by after spinning you, you’re probably not so enamored of the style.
In major-league racing, with multi-million dollar budgets supplied by multi-national corporations, this is an intellectual discussion. On the local level, when your spouse is wondering if that replacement front clip is really more important than your kids getting to go to camp, it’s a very real issue. When the family’s butter-and-egg money is on the line and you’ve already spent a lot more than you can ever win back, is bumping and grinding your way to the front fair?
That’s the question the flagman has to consider. He has to think more about what’s fair, about what’s right, than about what the fans or drivers are going to think of him. One of the great flagmen I ever saw was Wayne Weeks, former owner of the Nor-Way Pines Speedway, now known as Big Daddy’s Speedbowl. Wayne wasn’t the showman that Ted Winot was, but outside of that was every bit as good a flagman. And as track owner, he didn’t have to worry about being overruled, which in my opinion happens all too often.
The funny think about Wayne is how people’s opinion of him has changed over the years. When he was at the job, a lot of people really hated him. Most of those same people now miss him sorely, because he tried his best to be uncompromisingly fair. Maybe he had his biases, but they were based on his own observations. He wasn’t above nailing somebody because of all the times they got away with bad stuff.
Nowadays, in the Major Leagues, the Chief Starter has all kinds of help. More people, and technology, than was available in Ted Winot or Wayne Weeks’ day, or even now to our own Chief Starters. But the same reality comes down at the end of the day; there’s a decision to be made, and it’s up to that person in the flagstand to make it. When will the race start? When will it stop? Why did it stop? What will be done about it? Others may get to decide who wins and loses, but it starts and stops at the whim of one person. The Flagman.
God. Well, god with a small g, but god none the less. That’s what the flagman is on the racetrack, or at least what they should be. Of course, this is the 21st century, so that could easily be the Flag Person, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that somebody has to be in charge on the race track, and that’s the flagman.
I believe I’ve already written a piece on the man I consider to be one of the best, if not THE best, flagman ever; Ted Winot. Ted was an artist, a showman. He was also aware of every single thing that happened on HIS racetrack, and was very fair. And those are the most important things for a flagman to be.
The modern-day flagman doesn’t ever really get to be a showman. They’re stuck in a flagstand mounted up on high. About all they can do now is wave the flags. Not like the old days in which Ted and his ilk could come down onto the track and mingle with the cars and drivers. Leaping about, running around with the green flag in their hands, shaking the black flag in some driver’s window and giving them what for. No, we’re . . . well, fortunately, a lot more safety conscious now. Flagmen used to get hurt. Chub Walker used to stand in the middle of the track at the start and let the cars go around him.
The flagman’s REAL job is not just to stop and start the race. It is also to pass judgement on the events taking place thereupon. The Checkers (or Scorers) keep an eye on who is first, second, and so forth. The flagman’s job is to enforce the rules of the road. To make sure that traffic can flow freely, and if it can’t to stop it and see to the removal of any obstacles. Then, they are to ejucidate who is at fault for the stoppage and deal with them appropriately.
Traditionally, whoever causes the caution flag to be waved goes to the rear of the field for the restart. Sometimes this is a complicated decision. One car may have spun out and stalled in the middle of the track, causing a safety hazard that brings out the yellow flag. But that person may have spun out because of the actions of another. It is up to the flagman to determine who was at fault, and if he feels that the spun car was wronged he could even get back his original position on the track while the person who hooked them goes back.
This is not always an easy decision to make. A good flagman has plenty of help around to help him make it, and in this day of portable radios that has gotten a little easier to do. You will note that there are usually a number of people on the infield or at the pit entrance carrying walkie-talkies with them. They act as assistants to the flagman, because nobody – not even Ted Winot – could see all the way around a racetrack all the time.
One thing that makes the flagman’s job difficult is the fact that he’s doing it in front of the entire crowd. And don’t forget that most of that crowd has their own opinion on what happened, especially if they have an interest in any car involved. Let’s be honest, fans; your favorite driver can do any damned thing they want and it’s justified. Consequently, the more honest a flagman is, the more fans hate them.
Think about this for a moment. I know I’m in dangerous waters here, but bear with me. Do you remember a NASCAR star whose nickname was “The Intimidator?” How do you get a nickname like that, anyway? I’ll tell you how; by using your bumper to advance your position on the racetrack. That’s been one of my long-standing complaints about NASCAR. They look the other way for drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, and Bobby Allison because they’re popular.
There is a variety of opinions on such drivers. I believe their aggressive tactics are unfair, others feel it gives a race color. Where opinions vary the widest is among the drivers. If you use those tactics, you think they’re great. On the other hand, if you’re the poor schmuck who has to repair their car every week while a less talented, but more aggressive, driver goes by after spinning you, you’re probably not so enamored of the style.
In major-league racing, with multi-million dollar budgets supplied by multi-national corporations, this is an intellectual discussion. On the local level, when your spouse is wondering if that replacement front clip is really more important than your kids getting to go to camp, it’s a very real issue. When the family’s butter-and-egg money is on the line and you’ve already spent a lot more than you can ever win back, is bumping and grinding your way to the front fair?
That’s the question the flagman has to consider. He has to think more about what’s fair, about what’s right, than about what the fans or drivers are going to think of him. One of the great flagmen I ever saw was Wayne Weeks, former owner of the Nor-Way Pines Speedway, now known as Big Daddy’s Speedbowl. Wayne wasn’t the showman that Ted Winot was, but outside of that was every bit as good a flagman. And as track owner, he didn’t have to worry about being overruled, which in my opinion happens all too often.
The funny think about Wayne is how people’s opinion of him has changed over the years. When he was at the job, a lot of people really hated him. Most of those same people now miss him sorely, because he tried his best to be uncompromisingly fair. Maybe he had his biases, but they were based on his own observations. He wasn’t above nailing somebody because of all the times they got away with bad stuff.
Nowadays, in the Major Leagues, the Chief Starter has all kinds of help. More people, and technology, than was available in Ted Winot or Wayne Weeks’ day, or even now to our own Chief Starters. But the same reality comes down at the end of the day; there’s a decision to be made, and it’s up to that person in the flagstand to make it. When will the race start? When will it stop? Why did it stop? What will be done about it? Others may get to decide who wins and loses, but it starts and stops at the whim of one person. The Flagman.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Checkers
Checkers
Not the game involving little red and black disks on a board divided up into squares. And also not the flag that gets waved at the end of a race. No, the checkers I’m referring to are the ones who sit up in the judge’s stand and keep track of who’s leading the race.
I’m going to try and write a series of pieces that give some insight into how a racetrack runs, and maybe even the differences between how it ran fifty years ago and today. It’s surprising how some things have changed, and how some have not.
Accurate scoring is essential to a good race. Nobody really thinks about it, but you need to know who wins, who comes in second, seventh, last. It helps you accurately distribute points and prize money, for one thing. And the whole point of the race is to find out who’s faster.
The actual task of scoring a race isn’t exactly difficult. It isn’t exactly easy, either, but the preferred system is relatively easy to grasp. You need a piece of paper and, preferably, a pencil. You’re best off if you place the paper the long way on the writing surface in front of you, and draw vertical lines down the face. Try and divide your paper into ten segments, and it helps to number them.
Focus your attention on the start/finish line and rest your hand on the page, pencil ready to write in the first column. When a car passes the line, write down the number and move your hand down slightly. Write the next one, and the next one, and so forth. When the first car comes back around, move your hand one column to the right and repeat the procedure.
And that’s about it.
The advantage of this system is, it gets every car, every lap. That way, if you’re wondering if someone is down a lap, you simply look through all the laps for their number. Any lap the number is missing, they weren’t there. It even makes it easy to see how many multiple laps the backmarkers are. Preferably, you should have at least two checkers, and it’s even better to have three. That way, if there’s a disagreement at any point, best two out of three wins.
The reason they’re called checkers is simple; they check where the cars are, and then check with each other to make sure they got it right. Nowadays they’re usually called Scorers, but back in my day they were Checkers.
The first Checkers I ever saw were my mom, Marjorie, and grandmother, Pearl Clogston. They developed the system described above, and it’s logical that they weren’t the first. I learned it at a very young age and have taught it to many people since. Anyone can do it, and if you don’t believe me grab a yellow legal pad and a pencil next time you leave for the races. You can do it, too.
One important task for the Checkers is to get the lineup to the flagman any time there’s a caution period requiring a restart. Most small tracks go back to the last completed lap and line up in that order, excepting whoever it was that caused the caution. That person, or those people, go to the rear. One thing the Checkers are NOT responsible for is figuring out who was at fault. That’s the job of the flagman and their helpers. But more on that another day. The Checkers should have their eyes on the start/finish line, and nowhere else. Don’t ask them what happened in turn one, because they’re supposed to be busy checking the running order at the flag stand.
This is one job that has not gone through a lot of changes over the years. At the big tracks like Daytona and Indianapolis, and NHMS, there are electronic scoring systems that put strips in the track under the asphalt and transponders in the cars. You can tell who is in what position at any point on the track. If you don’t have a million dollars to invest in such a system, the old way works just fine.
The more cars, and the faster the cars, the harder the job. For most races the Checkers have plenty of down time between laps. They actually get to see some of the race. If you want to see what their worst-case scenario is, try checking a Mini-Sprint feature with twenty or more cars. If you can keep up with that, you’re good.
The really cool part about checking is, anyone can do it. So here’s a challenge. Bring a pad of paper and a pencil, and try your hand. You’ll be surprised how easy it is, and how much concentration it requires. And it might even give you a little respect for the people that do it every race.
Not the game involving little red and black disks on a board divided up into squares. And also not the flag that gets waved at the end of a race. No, the checkers I’m referring to are the ones who sit up in the judge’s stand and keep track of who’s leading the race.
I’m going to try and write a series of pieces that give some insight into how a racetrack runs, and maybe even the differences between how it ran fifty years ago and today. It’s surprising how some things have changed, and how some have not.
Accurate scoring is essential to a good race. Nobody really thinks about it, but you need to know who wins, who comes in second, seventh, last. It helps you accurately distribute points and prize money, for one thing. And the whole point of the race is to find out who’s faster.
The actual task of scoring a race isn’t exactly difficult. It isn’t exactly easy, either, but the preferred system is relatively easy to grasp. You need a piece of paper and, preferably, a pencil. You’re best off if you place the paper the long way on the writing surface in front of you, and draw vertical lines down the face. Try and divide your paper into ten segments, and it helps to number them.
Focus your attention on the start/finish line and rest your hand on the page, pencil ready to write in the first column. When a car passes the line, write down the number and move your hand down slightly. Write the next one, and the next one, and so forth. When the first car comes back around, move your hand one column to the right and repeat the procedure.
And that’s about it.
The advantage of this system is, it gets every car, every lap. That way, if you’re wondering if someone is down a lap, you simply look through all the laps for their number. Any lap the number is missing, they weren’t there. It even makes it easy to see how many multiple laps the backmarkers are. Preferably, you should have at least two checkers, and it’s even better to have three. That way, if there’s a disagreement at any point, best two out of three wins.
The reason they’re called checkers is simple; they check where the cars are, and then check with each other to make sure they got it right. Nowadays they’re usually called Scorers, but back in my day they were Checkers.
The first Checkers I ever saw were my mom, Marjorie, and grandmother, Pearl Clogston. They developed the system described above, and it’s logical that they weren’t the first. I learned it at a very young age and have taught it to many people since. Anyone can do it, and if you don’t believe me grab a yellow legal pad and a pencil next time you leave for the races. You can do it, too.
One important task for the Checkers is to get the lineup to the flagman any time there’s a caution period requiring a restart. Most small tracks go back to the last completed lap and line up in that order, excepting whoever it was that caused the caution. That person, or those people, go to the rear. One thing the Checkers are NOT responsible for is figuring out who was at fault. That’s the job of the flagman and their helpers. But more on that another day. The Checkers should have their eyes on the start/finish line, and nowhere else. Don’t ask them what happened in turn one, because they’re supposed to be busy checking the running order at the flag stand.
This is one job that has not gone through a lot of changes over the years. At the big tracks like Daytona and Indianapolis, and NHMS, there are electronic scoring systems that put strips in the track under the asphalt and transponders in the cars. You can tell who is in what position at any point on the track. If you don’t have a million dollars to invest in such a system, the old way works just fine.
The more cars, and the faster the cars, the harder the job. For most races the Checkers have plenty of down time between laps. They actually get to see some of the race. If you want to see what their worst-case scenario is, try checking a Mini-Sprint feature with twenty or more cars. If you can keep up with that, you’re good.
The really cool part about checking is, anyone can do it. So here’s a challenge. Bring a pad of paper and a pencil, and try your hand. You’ll be surprised how easy it is, and how much concentration it requires. And it might even give you a little respect for the people that do it every race.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Git-Tar's website
. . . AND ANOTHER!
There I was, raving on about George Hill's new webpage on local racing, and then couldn't find the glowing review I wrote on Billy "Git-tar" Moses' page. And no wonder . . . I hadn't written it yet! Heck, it's been around for months now, and I really, really meant to tell you about it . . . so now I will. Sorry, Bill.
First, the link, which I'll also put on the side:
http://geetarsjalopyjunkies.weebly.com/
Bill's nickname comes, of course, from the fact that he is 1) one of the finer Country/Rock pickers in these parts, and 2) he is the son of the late, great Dusty Moses, who was another one. And of course, they both raced stock cars, too.
Billy's page centers around the Rumney track and its various incarnations, but that in itself means it's connected to everything else past and present in the area. No track is an island, after all. And, he carries a lot of news as well as a lot of history. Like George Hill, Billy has done a lot of work on this page and you're really going to enjoy it.
He gets his photos mostly from his own massive archive dating back through the decades. Although I'm sure he'd be most happy to take a look at anything you want to share with the World Wide Web. (For that matter, so would I.)
He does regular updates and has features like a Driver of the Month article (this month is Bobby Webber, the new flagman at Big Daddy's, who also used to race) and racing families.
So check out the Gee-tar man's Jalopy Junkie nostalgia report at your earliest convenience. You'll be glad you did.
There I was, raving on about George Hill's new webpage on local racing, and then couldn't find the glowing review I wrote on Billy "Git-tar" Moses' page. And no wonder . . . I hadn't written it yet! Heck, it's been around for months now, and I really, really meant to tell you about it . . . so now I will. Sorry, Bill.
First, the link, which I'll also put on the side:
http://geetarsjalopyjunkies.weebly.com/
Bill's nickname comes, of course, from the fact that he is 1) one of the finer Country/Rock pickers in these parts, and 2) he is the son of the late, great Dusty Moses, who was another one. And of course, they both raced stock cars, too.
Billy's page centers around the Rumney track and its various incarnations, but that in itself means it's connected to everything else past and present in the area. No track is an island, after all. And, he carries a lot of news as well as a lot of history. Like George Hill, Billy has done a lot of work on this page and you're really going to enjoy it.
He gets his photos mostly from his own massive archive dating back through the decades. Although I'm sure he'd be most happy to take a look at anything you want to share with the World Wide Web. (For that matter, so would I.)
He does regular updates and has features like a Driver of the Month article (this month is Bobby Webber, the new flagman at Big Daddy's, who also used to race) and racing families.
So check out the Gee-tar man's Jalopy Junkie nostalgia report at your earliest convenience. You'll be glad you did.
Another Link
ANOTHER NEW BLOG
Tickled to death to see another new webpage on local racing. This one is put together by no less than George Hill, who used to drive the 38 Special at the Nor-Way Pines, and was a teammate of Royal Moses. It's called NH Short Track Heroes, and the link to it is over there on the side. Just in case:
http://nhshorttrackheroes.weebly.com/index.html
There. Don't say you couldn't find it.
It's a good one, too. George has taken the time and done the legwork, and it really shows. It's an impressive effort, of the type I wish I could have done here. I am so glad that so many people have gone to the trouble to preserve the history of racing in the Northeast and in New Hampshire in particular. Thanks from the bottom of my heart to George, Billy Moses, and everybody who has opened their hearts, their memories, and their photo albums to each of us.
Which reminds me; Ralph Stygles loaned his photos to George, so you're going to start seeing those on his website soon if not already. And I'm sure he'd be grateful to anyone who can identify some of the people, cars, and places that he's having trouble with.
For example, there's a photo on the Legion Bowl page of a purple five-window coupe, number 574? That is Tommy Richardson of Canaan, NH. You're welcome. I might have a couple more for ya, too.
So with another racing season beginning, and me being involved at the Big Daddy Speedbowl in Wentworth, I'm going to try real hard to post more stuff here. I think I've about used up all the decent pictures that I've got, so I'll let Billy and George take care of that end and just share my boring stories.
Tickled to death to see another new webpage on local racing. This one is put together by no less than George Hill, who used to drive the 38 Special at the Nor-Way Pines, and was a teammate of Royal Moses. It's called NH Short Track Heroes, and the link to it is over there on the side. Just in case:
http://nhshorttrackheroes.weebly.com/index.html
There. Don't say you couldn't find it.
It's a good one, too. George has taken the time and done the legwork, and it really shows. It's an impressive effort, of the type I wish I could have done here. I am so glad that so many people have gone to the trouble to preserve the history of racing in the Northeast and in New Hampshire in particular. Thanks from the bottom of my heart to George, Billy Moses, and everybody who has opened their hearts, their memories, and their photo albums to each of us.
Which reminds me; Ralph Stygles loaned his photos to George, so you're going to start seeing those on his website soon if not already. And I'm sure he'd be grateful to anyone who can identify some of the people, cars, and places that he's having trouble with.
For example, there's a photo on the Legion Bowl page of a purple five-window coupe, number 574? That is Tommy Richardson of Canaan, NH. You're welcome. I might have a couple more for ya, too.
So with another racing season beginning, and me being involved at the Big Daddy Speedbowl in Wentworth, I'm going to try real hard to post more stuff here. I think I've about used up all the decent pictures that I've got, so I'll let Billy and George take care of that end and just share my boring stories.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Rumney Changes Hands
Hi.
First of all, let me say thanks to everybody who’s told me they wish I’d add something to this page more often. Sorry that I’ve been so busy of late, but that’s the way it is I guess.
Next, I would like to confirm some rumors you’ve probably heard. The Rumney racetrack, still known to many as the Nor-Way Pines, has changed management once again. Mike Rivers will be taking over, and the name has changed to Big Daddy’s Speedbowl. I will be adding the link (bigdaddysspeedbowl.com) to the sidebar soon. In fact, looky looky! There it is! And, yes, I will be returning as your humble announcer, but please come check it out anyway.
Anyway, thanks for keeping in touch, and I’ll really try and get some more on this page in the near future. I at least owe you part 2 of the early Groveton story.
Rick
First of all, let me say thanks to everybody who’s told me they wish I’d add something to this page more often. Sorry that I’ve been so busy of late, but that’s the way it is I guess.
Next, I would like to confirm some rumors you’ve probably heard. The Rumney racetrack, still known to many as the Nor-Way Pines, has changed management once again. Mike Rivers will be taking over, and the name has changed to Big Daddy’s Speedbowl. I will be adding the link (bigdaddysspeedbowl.com) to the sidebar soon. In fact, looky looky! There it is! And, yes, I will be returning as your humble announcer, but please come check it out anyway.
Anyway, thanks for keeping in touch, and I’ll really try and get some more on this page in the near future. I at least owe you part 2 of the early Groveton story.
Rick
Monday, August 31, 2009
Riverside Speedway
Riverside Speedway
This has got to be the Northernmost racetrack in New Hampshire. In this day and age it's an asphalt track, sanctioned by PASS with the occasional ACT tour race. But this blog is not about the present, is it? And to tell the truth, I haven't been to a race there since before the surface became asphalt.
The track opened in 1965. It was the brainchild of two brothers, Doc and Chet McLain. I'm not sure how the name was spelled, and I hope I'm right about the date, but it was around then by them. In the beginning it was sanctioned and officiated by some long-gone, shadowy and much-maligned group known then as The Association. No, not the rock group that did "Along Comes Mary."
It soon became obvious that associating with The Association was a big mistake. Somehow, the McLanes/McLains/McClaynes got in contact with my parents and off to Groveton we went. Dad was Pit Steward, Mom and my grandmother, Pearl Clogston were the checkers, and family friend Ted Winot from St. Johnsbury, VT was flagman. Also joining us was a young man named Donny, whose last name escapes me right now, who worked as Dad's assistant pit steward.
For the next several years I spent my Sunday mornings and evenings sitting in the middle of the back seat with four chain smokers, none of whom seemed able to roll down a window. I was nine years old when this began. How I made it to fourteen without lung cancer, God only knows. My favorite memory of the trip was a little diner a few miles south of Groveton that made great cheeseburgers and had Buck Owens on their jukebox.
The original racing surface at Riverside was some of the worst clay ever laid down. It was mostly sand, really. To hold it down the McLanes chose to add a lot of old drain oil. It didn't work. But it did make a lasting impression. Racing on this track turned that oil-soaked sand into a fine, black talcum powder that covered everything and slipped through every crack and crevice. The cars in the parking lot looked like they'd all been dipped in coal dust.
But the one who really got it was Ted. The officials all wore white shirts and pants, and on top of that Ted added a really nice top hat. He would come off the flag stand, the uniform stained a dark grey by the dust, his face caked in the stuff, and then he'd take the hat off. The top half of his forehead and his hair would be perfectly clean.
One of the other people who worked there was somewhat of an electronics whiz. He owned a reel-to-reel tape recorder, and had a CB radio in his car a decade before anyone else did. This radio also included a bullhorn mounted behind the grille. Sometimes on the way home, while we were passing through Groveton, he would follow us shouting "Look at that dirty car!" over the bullhorn.
The facility was way ahead of its time, once you got past the racing surface. It was the first banked track I ever saw, and it was big, too. This meant the cars went like bats out of hell. The grandstand area was also beautifully thought out. Instead of bleachers, you had seating for probably 1500-2000 people that stretched the length of the front straight. At the top was the concession stand, which had plenty of room and they had it set up so you could have two lines in and out. And, they could all see the racing while they ordered their food!
Above the concessions was a further floor with more or less a VIP lounge, and atop that a big, roomy judges stand. At the bottom of the stands was a cement retaining wall topped with an excellent chain-link fence. Built into that cement wall was an alcove that served as the flag stand, with a set of steps actually built into the wall for ingress and egress. The only mistake they made with this was that the door in and out of the flagstand was on the turn-4 side of the alcove. This meant that if a car went up the wall, the flagman had to go toward it to get out and into the seating area.
I'm going to leave it there for now. Next time, I'll talk a little bit about the actual racing. If you have any memories of Riverside, especially back when it was dirt, let's hear it.
This has got to be the Northernmost racetrack in New Hampshire. In this day and age it's an asphalt track, sanctioned by PASS with the occasional ACT tour race. But this blog is not about the present, is it? And to tell the truth, I haven't been to a race there since before the surface became asphalt.
The track opened in 1965. It was the brainchild of two brothers, Doc and Chet McLain. I'm not sure how the name was spelled, and I hope I'm right about the date, but it was around then by them. In the beginning it was sanctioned and officiated by some long-gone, shadowy and much-maligned group known then as The Association. No, not the rock group that did "Along Comes Mary."
It soon became obvious that associating with The Association was a big mistake. Somehow, the McLanes/McLains/McClaynes got in contact with my parents and off to Groveton we went. Dad was Pit Steward, Mom and my grandmother, Pearl Clogston were the checkers, and family friend Ted Winot from St. Johnsbury, VT was flagman. Also joining us was a young man named Donny, whose last name escapes me right now, who worked as Dad's assistant pit steward.
For the next several years I spent my Sunday mornings and evenings sitting in the middle of the back seat with four chain smokers, none of whom seemed able to roll down a window. I was nine years old when this began. How I made it to fourteen without lung cancer, God only knows. My favorite memory of the trip was a little diner a few miles south of Groveton that made great cheeseburgers and had Buck Owens on their jukebox.
The original racing surface at Riverside was some of the worst clay ever laid down. It was mostly sand, really. To hold it down the McLanes chose to add a lot of old drain oil. It didn't work. But it did make a lasting impression. Racing on this track turned that oil-soaked sand into a fine, black talcum powder that covered everything and slipped through every crack and crevice. The cars in the parking lot looked like they'd all been dipped in coal dust.
But the one who really got it was Ted. The officials all wore white shirts and pants, and on top of that Ted added a really nice top hat. He would come off the flag stand, the uniform stained a dark grey by the dust, his face caked in the stuff, and then he'd take the hat off. The top half of his forehead and his hair would be perfectly clean.
One of the other people who worked there was somewhat of an electronics whiz. He owned a reel-to-reel tape recorder, and had a CB radio in his car a decade before anyone else did. This radio also included a bullhorn mounted behind the grille. Sometimes on the way home, while we were passing through Groveton, he would follow us shouting "Look at that dirty car!" over the bullhorn.
The facility was way ahead of its time, once you got past the racing surface. It was the first banked track I ever saw, and it was big, too. This meant the cars went like bats out of hell. The grandstand area was also beautifully thought out. Instead of bleachers, you had seating for probably 1500-2000 people that stretched the length of the front straight. At the top was the concession stand, which had plenty of room and they had it set up so you could have two lines in and out. And, they could all see the racing while they ordered their food!
Above the concessions was a further floor with more or less a VIP lounge, and atop that a big, roomy judges stand. At the bottom of the stands was a cement retaining wall topped with an excellent chain-link fence. Built into that cement wall was an alcove that served as the flag stand, with a set of steps actually built into the wall for ingress and egress. The only mistake they made with this was that the door in and out of the flagstand was on the turn-4 side of the alcove. This meant that if a car went up the wall, the flagman had to go toward it to get out and into the seating area.
I'm going to leave it there for now. Next time, I'll talk a little bit about the actual racing. If you have any memories of Riverside, especially back when it was dirt, let's hear it.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wayne Weeks Update
First of all, you probably already heard that Wayne Weeks, long-time operator of the Nor-Way Pines Speedway, passed away around the new year. A lot of you read the piece I wrote on him, and contacted him. Word is that he really appreciated hearing from you, as has the family. JJ Sanville and his family went down last fall for a visit, and they sent me some pictures. Here's a good one.
The other news, which you probably also know, is that the Legion Speedway did in fact find a new lessor. I forget the gentleman's name, but the track is now known as the Rattlesnake Motordrome. When I feel ambitious I'll add the link, and remove the probably-dead link for the Legion Speedway.
And now, the point. The point, of this blog, is for communication. Instead, what it's been is me telling a bunch of stories and running some pictures. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but I know for a fact that I am not the only one who's got a story or two to tell about dirt track racing in the Northern New England area.
I'm not any sort of historian. I've just been around a while. Haven't you? Don't you have some stories to tell? Don't any of the things you've see here bring back any memories? Then fer cryin' out loud hit that comment button and share a little, will ya? I'll keep sticking my own stories on here, but I sure would like to hear from you. And put it here, where everybody can join in, not in an email to me.
So let's hear from you, all right?
The other news, which you probably also know, is that the Legion Speedway did in fact find a new lessor. I forget the gentleman's name, but the track is now known as the Rattlesnake Motordrome. When I feel ambitious I'll add the link, and remove the probably-dead link for the Legion Speedway. And now, the point. The point, of this blog, is for communication. Instead, what it's been is me telling a bunch of stories and running some pictures. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but I know for a fact that I am not the only one who's got a story or two to tell about dirt track racing in the Northern New England area.
I'm not any sort of historian. I've just been around a while. Haven't you? Don't you have some stories to tell? Don't any of the things you've see here bring back any memories? Then fer cryin' out loud hit that comment button and share a little, will ya? I'll keep sticking my own stories on here, but I sure would like to hear from you. And put it here, where everybody can join in, not in an email to me.
So let's hear from you, all right?
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Rumney Racetrack
First, I want to say that I'm sorry about not getting more onto this page this summer. It's been very busy, and for once that very-busy-ness has not included racing. Also, I've been frustrated about not having pictures to go with the really old, boring stories that I'd like to post here. So, I'm just going to post them without the pictures.
But I didn't start this entry so you could listen to me whine. This is about a changing of the guard that I'm hearing about at what I proudly consider my home track, the Legion Speedway. In spite of the fact that it is actually located within the town of Wentworth, NH it is always referred to as The Rumney Racetrack. American Legion Post #66, the Lamont/Haley post, has been the owner of the land it rests on since right after the invention of dirt. My father was a member of that post when they cleared the land and opened the track in 1961, and he was the first track announcer. My mom was in the Ladies' Auxiliary and worked in the snack shack.
For the last three years the Post has taken over management of the facility once again under the leadership of their Commander, Bob Ayer, known affectionately to his friends as B. A. I have been hearing that BA is stepping down as managing director of the track, and I just want to take the opportunity to wish him and Post 66 well. I think they've done a great job of getting a great track back up and running. And they've done just about all of it with volunteer help!
They have tried very hard to be family-friendly, fan-friendly, and racer-friendly all at the same time. They've put a lot of hard work into improving the facility, and at the same time have managed to turn enough of a profit to be able to do some very good work in the community. Don't forget, this is the only racetrack around that is owned and operated by a non-profit organization. Like a church, or a grange, or an Elks lodge, they pour the money they make back back into their mission. In their case, it's to help local veterans and also doing things like Christmas baskets for underpriviliged families. Some organizations do these works with bake sales or suppers. Post 66 does it with car racing.
I don't know what the future of the track will be. I've heard a lot of rumors but I won't speculate on them here. I can understand why BA and the post might feel a little burnt out. For the last three years they've all busted their collective kiesters to give us a good show. I hope the good Lord will grant them wisdom as they contemplate their future.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Wayne Weeks
"Why the heck do they call this place the Nor-Way Pines Speedway?" the old race fan asked. "There ain't a doggone Norway pine on the place; just white pine."
Oh, ye of little mind. First, we need to discuss a little history.
The little dirt track on the Rumney / Wentworth town line began life around 1961 as the Legion Bowl. American Legion Post # 66 owned - and still owns - the land, and they also ran it in the early days, as they do now. It closed in the mid-60's and lay fallow for the better part of a decade. Finally, around 1974 or so, two enterprising racers leased the property from the Legion and re-opened the track. These two men were NORman Roulx and WAYne Weeks. Hence, NOR-WAY Pines. Get it now?
Wayne, giving Mike Vincellette the flag after a Qualifier victory.
According to legend, Wayne Weeks and his wife, Louella, came home one evening in 1958 and discovered a '54 Ford that hadn't been there before. The next day their nephew, Norm Roulx, showed up and announced that the Ford was their new race car. They raced the car, and its successors, at various tracks for the next ten years or so, centering their activities around Barre, VT's Thunder Road. They co-owned the car and hired drivers, the most prominent being the late, great Hank Montanden.
Finally, in 1968 Wayne became one of the ownership group that founded the Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, VT along with C. V. Elms and George Barber. Eventually, he and Norm broke away to re-open the old Bowl.
Wayne giving a trophy to 4-time Nor-Way Pines / Pines Speedway / Legion Speedway champion, Ray Heath, Jr.
Wayne was the flagman, and Norm served at the track announcer. Norm eventually moved on and Wayne ran the track by himself, continuing to operate the Speedway into the mid-1990's. Eventually, he found someone to take over the lease and he retired to Florida where he and Louella, and most of the kids, live today.
Wayne with the late, great Larry Welch
Everybody's got their favorite memories of Wayne Weeks. When he was frustrated with a driver, he would jump down from the flag stand and shake the black flag in their face. He took a lot of crap from a lot of people over the years, and all with stoic silence. His word was law. If he kicked you out for two weeks, you were out. Period.
He ticked off a lot of people by not changing his mind and ruling in their favor. Most of these people miss him badly now. Whatever else you want to say about Wayne Weeks, he was fair. His perspective was that of a race fan. He knew where the Nor-Way Pines sat on the racing food chain; at the bottom. And he liked it that way. He made his rules so that any half-decent shade-tree mechanic could put together a competitive car. And he ran his track so that anyone with their head screwed on straight would get a chance to do their stuff.
He will be happy to learn that the Legion post that owns the land is using him as a model now that they're running things again. They have bypassed a lot of avenues for increasing revenue, like making teams buy tires from the track or jacking up the prices at the consession stand. Instead, they're making it easy to race, and to go watch.
Wayne has been very ill recently, but his youngest daughter, Alicia, says he'd be thrilled to hear from race fans and anybody else from up North. You can leave comments here, or email Alicia at alicia13@tampabay.rr.com. Be sure to tell him I said hello.
Friday, May 09, 2008
A Model Citizen
A Model Citizen
Neal Davis is a long-time race fan from New Hampshire who makes models. As you can see, he does a really good job of it, too. He even makes them to sell. He's already shown his work at Canaan USA Speedway, and we're hoping to have him at the Legion Speedway soon.
This is a model of Jim Fadden's old coupe that he used to run at the Nor-Way Pines. I think Jim finished second in the Coupe division one year. He also ran very successfully in the Late-Model class. This car dates back, I think, to the early '80's.
This is the car that Tyler Rich drove to the B-Coupe championship in 2007. Tyler comes from Lyme, and is one heck of a driver. I believe he's got a new car for '08, so this is already a piece of history.
This is Bill George's '34 Ford coupe, built from pictures shown on this very blog. I'm so happy . . . Bill was my hero, and this car was actually built by my uncle Jim Parris back in '63. Bill won the championship at the 106 Midway Raceway with this in '64. If the name of that track doesn't sound familiar, it later became Bryar Motorsport Park, and finally New Hampshire International Speedway.
If you want to know more about Neal and his models, drop him an email at:
Hope you don't mind, Neal. If he complains, I'll edit this post and take the addy off, but you really should drop him a line. He does great work.
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